The Complete Papal Death, Part Two

Posts are now begetting sequels.... Bizarre?

I noted yesterday the AP line on the Vatican's release of what it termed as John Paul's death chronicle, "a 220-page volume, with entries in chronological order starting Jan. 31, the day the Holy See's press office announced that the pope's audiences were being suspended because he had flu symptoms."

I feel like an absolute moron right now as a Roman source has just clarified that this is no special edition of any kind, simply the latest volume of the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the definitive chronicle of Vatican life and the actions of the Pope and the Curia which is published several times a year. Regardless of their publication date, documents and statements of whatever kind attain no force until they're ensconced in the pages of the Acta. Well, papal death statements might be excepted.

But the Acta isn't available online, even to buy, until the end of the year when the compiled annual edition is released in paperback. JP fans, mark your calendars....

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